If you are unfortunate enough to suffer from chronic pain then you will understand how frustrating it can be. Doctors can prescribe painkillers but you will often get side effects and your body can build up a tolerance to them, meaning that you need to take more to get the same effect. This can be a dangerous situation as you could become dependent on the drugs, or in extreme circumstances, overdose on them.

This is why more and more medical experts are trying to look for alternative options to painkillers when helping sufferers relieve pain without the risks of taking strong drugs. Depending on the type of chronic pain that you suffer from, there are a number of recommended actions that you can take.

If you suffer from joint pain, then most doctors will recommend that you try to stay active and that resting the joints is one of the worst things that you can do. This is hard because when you are feeling extreme pain, most people prefer to rest. The experts say that this will do more damage than good and that exercise is a much more effective pain relief for the long term. You can also use tools like a painscale to record your levels of pain and help your doctor recommend the best forms of treatment for your circumstances.

Swimming is a very good way of getting your joints and limbs moving without putting a lot of strain on them. The resistance that the water provides enables you to build up your muscles without putting as much weight on your joints. Swimming is highly recommended for both back pain and arthritis. There are a number of different exercises that you can complete to help with your pain relief.

Other popular methods of pain relieving exercise include yoga, walking, and using an exercise bike. These moderate levels of exercise will help you to strengthen muscles around the affected areas so that your joints are taking less of the brunt.

You can make adjustments around your home and workplace to reduce strains on your body. Obviously, if you have an active, physical job then this will be a problem for you and in many circumstances chronic pain sufferers have to change jobs to reduce the pain.

If you are office based, then you should have your working environment assessed to see what adjustments could be made to help relieve your pain. If you suffer from back pain then there are a number of things that need to be checked such as your chair and the level your computer screen sits at, as these have a significant impact on your posture. If you have poor posture, then this could be causing a lot of your pain.

You might be surprised at how much of a difference some small changes to your working environment can make. Remember, your employer is responsible for your health and safety in the workplace, so make sure they don’t cut corners.